What’s New?

New this time: a congregational accompaniment for “The First Noel.” It’s been awhile since I did one of these because… to tell the truth, they’re kinda boring to write. You have to stick exactly to the harmonies in the original hymn so your accompaniment doesn’t clash with the voices. They’re designed to bulk up the [Read More…]

A thing I do to drive myself a little crazier: “finish” something, make it public, and then regret it because it was just. plain. wrong. I did that last December with my latest Christmas song, “Hush the Baby.” The melody and feel I had chosen were simply wrong. Not that I was smart enough to [Read More…]

“There is a green hill far away…” If ever there was a phrase designed to evoke images in the mind of a child, it’s that one. I think the author, Cecil Frances Alexander, intended it to be so since it was first published in her work, “Hymns for Little Children”. It certainly evoked images for [Read More…]

Awhile back the Mormon Tabernacle Choir produced a new recording of the Hallelujah! chorus from The Messiah. They included over 2000 … count ’em… 2000 voices from all over the world. And it’s perfect. I’m thinking the MoTab had some automated way to combine all those voices. If they had done it the way I [Read More…]

Last October, a primary choir sang a medley of “Search, Ponder, and Pray” and “I Think When I Read That Sweet Story.” I was asked to arrange this specifically for the conference, and the sheet music was not then available. Now, thanks to the lovely folks in the Music and Cultural Arts office… ***drum roll*** [Read More…]

Just a quick update this time. I’ve added an SATB hymn called “As Sudden Angels Filled the Night,” with an optional obbligato for two flutes. The words were written by my friend Toni Thomas, and the music is by yours truly. I don’t often write straight hymns, so this was fun (and challenging) for me. [Read More…]

Here’s a wonderful new album by singer Laura Pattillo to start your Christmas season off right. The arrangements are by Kurt Bestor, and the combination is gorgeous. I wanted to know a little more about her, so I asked her how she’d describe herself…

The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house all that cold, cold wet day. ~Dr. Seuss One day back in the dark ages when I was about six, I sat at our living room window watching my hope for a day outdoors melting in a steady [Read More…]

I know that he died that I might be forgiven my follies, my sins, and be cleansed from them. How wonderful is this love. How can I, knowing this, do anything else but love him, my Redeemer?” Joseph Fielding Smith On the long list of things for which I am grateful, the Savior is at [Read More…]

There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it.” Dieter F. Uchtdorf Last year I determined that for all of 2015 I would write and arrange only songs that expressed gratitude. Music that asked for nothing, and gave thanks for the really wonderful things [Read More…]

In General Conference, October 2014, the Tabernacle Choir presented a lovely rendition of “If I Listen With My Heart,” arranged by associate director Ryan Murphy. Ryan has generously made the score available here so you can use it in your own choir. Here’s the performance from October: This version is deceptively simple. A friend in [Read More…]

You know that amazing feeling when you actually manage to finish something? Not just sorta finish, with a few loose ends that you’ll get to… um… eventually. I mean really finish? The last few scores and page updates for my Christmas album with Allyse Smith Taylor are DONE. Fertig. Terminado. Acabado. Gotowy. 完成した. (All translations [Read More…]

This is week three of the Christmas Music Deluge. I just realized (with a self-congratulatory smirk) that I have, so far, been able to meet my goal of one update per week until finished. We’ll see if that new leaf stays turned. Todays additions: In the Bleak Midwinter“–a new setting of the beautiful old traditional [Read More…]

In this latest installment of the Christmas Music Deluge, I’ve added a new arrangement of “Gesù Bambino,” (Pietro Yon/Frederick H. Martens) for Solo, SSA or SSATB choir. I love the original dearly just the way it is, so in arranging it I tried to do something a little different. This arrangement is designed to be [Read More…]

And it’s only October! How does *that* happen? 😉 This year’s carol, “On a Still and Starry Night,” is available as an easy hymn-style one-pager, or as a vocal solo or SATB anthem, both with violin obbligato. There’s also a new vocal/flute duet, “The First Noel,” based on the piano solo I arranged years ago. [Read More…]

…I came up with a Christmas Card Carol, alas, too late to post the score. So here it is as the first offering of the Christmas barrage that is about to begin. It’s called “Star of Wonder,” and it’s set for vocal solo only, with optional violin obbligato. The recording includes vocals by James Loynes, [Read More…]

…a new compilation CD. That I finally finished. Hallelujah. It’s called “He is My Song,” and here’s a list of what’s on the disk, with links to the song pages and a description of the new material that’s been added: Be Still, My Soul (James Loynes) The Lord is My Shepherd (Heather Prusse) This is [Read More…]

In the August 2010 edition of the Ensign magazine, a lovely hymn titled “Come Home” appeared. We used it in our ward choir, and I liked it well enough that when the composer, Michael Moody, suggested that I arrange it for choral anthem, I was thrilled at the prospect. Since Heather and I were working [Read More…]

The last couple of projects I’ve worked on have dealt with the visual arts. Let me help you to understand the irony of this. I drew an avocado once, for an art class in high school. It even somewhat resembled an avocado. I have been so proud of this achievement all my life that I [Read More…]

One of the greatest things about self-publishing is that you can write Christmas music any time you like. For example, during the Christmas season. One of the worst things about self-publishing is that you tend to write Christmas music at the wrong time of year to be useful. For example, during the Christmas season. Case [Read More…]

Last night was a landmark for me… I actually finished something. Something big. And complicated. And boy am I patting myself on the back! The Praise to the Lord Cantata page has been a placeholder for (oh my… **blushes**…) two years(!) while I struggled to keep up with life. Last night I finished formatting the [Read More…]

Thanksgiving. Ahhhhh…. the word conjures up so many wonderful associations… …gathering as much family as you can cram into one house… roast turkey… sweet potato casserole… eating way too much… pumpkin pie with real whip cream… eating way too much… raucous family games… In the US, our “Thanksgiving” holiday falls every year on the fourth [Read More…]

While my kids were teenagers, I guess I was more focused on youth themes and managed to get new music up early in the year. Since my kids are no longer in the youth program, it’s been getting later and later into each new year that I actually manage to get the music done and [Read More…]

Duet time! For as long as I have known Heather Prusse and James Loynes, I have wanted… longed… ached… to get their voices together on a song or two. Finally, with this latest new song, we managed it. (They actually did another duet together as well… it will follow shortly.) The new song is titled [Read More…]

I’m no visual artist. Give me a blank wall and a roller and that’s about as good as it gets around here. I raised a couple of visual artists, however, and I know several others, and I’m always amazed at how they can take a blank canvas (or some other mysterious medium) and turn it [Read More…]

80 Responses to “What’s New?”

Sally, thank you so much for all the wonderful music you’ve written through the years, and thanks for making it available for free. I have sang a few of them as solos, and the choir has also sang quite a few. They’re all really beautifully arranged, with subtle harmonies, yet not terribly complicated. Any reasonably competent choir should be able to sing your songs. Thank you, thank you, thank you! And may your musical talent continue for years to come!

i think that Marlene is asking you to send her the music from the video of last Christmas. She thinks that the title is “What Should We Give”,. or “Que Hemos de Dar”. I think that is what she is asking. I hope that I’m not over stepping to send you this.
Thanks for all of the music that you have written for the ward choirs to use. You are a great lady, sister and helper. Keep it up. You are appreciated!

Greetings,
I so love your renditions of beautiful hymns and your style of music. A group of women asked me to accompany them with one of your songs for Sacrament Meeting. It is, “To Those Who Came Before,” and as I was playing it over and over in my head for the few weeks before; I kept singing the words from “Improve the Shining Moments.” I accompanied them the week before Pioneer Day which, by the way, turned out beautiful; but I also mentioned that the music goes so well with “Improve the Shining Moments.” I am giving a lesson and would like to use the words from the hymn “Improve the Shining Moments.” I hope I have your blessing to use it in my Relief Society Lesson as “Improve the Shining Moments.”
Thanks so much for your talent and your faithfulness to the gospel through music.
Sincerely,
Pattie Skousen

Thank you so much for sharing your love of music with us! Your music goes right to my heart and I love to sing it! A friend and I just sang “Born Is the Light of the World” for our community Christmas concert. Actually, the song sang us: it resonated with our souls. Thanks again for sharing. You’re awesome!

Just my personal page. I suppose I should think about doing a professional one… maybe… one of these days… when I need one more page to maintain… um.. okay, maybe not! You’re welcome to drop in on my personal page though. 🙂

Dear Sally DeFord,
I am currently serving a mission, and I get called on all the time to play for elders, etc., who are performing. I had not heard of you or your site. One of the elders I play for directed me there, and I have found wonderful arrangements to use for these events. I am so incredibly impressed with your beautiful music, and your wonderful talent for arranging songs. And more amazing than that is that you do not charge for your music. I’m stunned. Thank you so much for sharing your talents, and for making it free. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you so much for sharing your music with us. I always use your arrangements when I need to sing in church or pick music for the ward choir. I’m so excited to use your arrangement of As Shepherds Kept Their Lonely Vigil for our ward’s Christmas program this year. Thank you for sharing your talents with us, and for free no less!

Dear Sally, this is the second time I am sending a comment to you. I love your music and my choir does, too. ” Make Us One,” :I Have Not Seen, Yet I Believe,” are two of our favorites. I plan to have my choir sing more of your beautiful God-inspired creations.

Question: I have spent hours and hours looking for a choral anthem of Philippians 4:8-9, and couldn’t find one that I like. Have you considered composing one for choir? I can be sure that it would be another beautiful one from you.

I would really like the courtesy of a reply, Sally. May God continue to bless you as you use His gifts to bless us all.

We just finished a Bi-Ward Musical Fireside with the theme, Come Unto Christ. It was beautiful. Many of the songs shared were yours. My daughter and I sang “A Place in His Arms.” Many people were touched by the spirit while we sang your words. May we share with you a recording?

My utmost gratitude to madam Sally and to God for the talent He gave to you…I appreciate it so much your generosity of sharing your music freely…we have started singing your songs for our special numbers in church(solo, duets)…thanks for the site and everything in it, continue to be a channel of blessing.

Dear Sally, I am writing you to let you know how much my choir and I enjoy your anthems. We have sung a good number of them, and I am looking at new ones, not just for choir but also for solos and duets.

God has truly given you a great talent which you are using to help others who are working in His vineyard. May the Lord continue to bless you and grant you many years of writing music for Him, to be performed by His children.

Sally, is it permissible to make an SATB arrangement of your beautiful song “An Angel to Watch Over Me”? As a Ward Choir we would love sing it in Sacrament Meeting on Mothers’ Day. As a choir leader I have been most grateful for your generous sharing of your wonderful music. Always inspiring and uplifting to both “performer” and “listener”. Thank you!

Sally, thanks for your generosity. My husband and I are singing the Abide With Me, for our sons ‘not the homecoming’ with our daughter doing the obbligato on violin. The lower registry for the women works well with my voice. You have added in a terrific manner to a special occasion. We appreciate your time and website. Today I am going to search out someone that I don’t know well and do something nice. It’s the ‘pass it along from Sally’.

I don’t know what my ward choir would do without your wonderful music. We use it all the time and I have even used
your beautiful “For the Beauty of the Earth” with my beginning high school choir at a competition. Thank you so
very much for sharing your talents. Merrilee Hunter
Manila 5th Ward Choir Director
Choir Teacher, American Fork High School

I just wanted to thank you for sharing your music. I have selected “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night” to perform in my ward choir in Aurora, Co. It was not easy to narrow the choice down since I love all of your arrangements. Thank You – I hope I get to meet you some day.

I cannot express how much your music means to me and to the members of my ward. I’ve been the ward chorister forever (I believe about 18 years). As we started using your music in our choir, a new spirit came over us. It’s been unbelievable and so spiritual to see tears run down the cheeks of not only our congregation but of our choir members as they sing. It’s become a Christmas tradition in our ward to sing the majestic songs you have arranged for our Christmas program. We start out with “Angels We Have Heard on High” following with “Oh Holy Night”, we then sing in between talks as many of your arrangements as we have time for. This year as we ended our program with the choir and congregation singing “Silent Night” the spirit was so strong it was amazing!! Thank you, thank you so much!!

Sally,
You have such an incredible talent, equally as boundless as is your heart!
Thank you for the wonderful resource you are for other musicians.
Certainly your Heavenly Mansion will most assuredly be elegant and delightful!
Keep sharing your magnificent talents! God bless you!
Becky in Idaho

Hello Sally,
FYI
Today in Church Vaughn Gibbs sang for the homecoming of two of our missionaries. We were talking and he said he used to sing and you would play in the ward he was serving…Mountain Shadows area when he was on his mission.
He is our Elders Quorum president. He and wife are expecting their second child in 8 months.

I have been extremely blessed by your songs…God has indeed used you mightily. I am just wondering if is it possible also that you can compose some wedding songs appropriate for the church? There is not much of a selection of wedding songs available. Thank you so much and please keep on composing. It means a lot to me and my family…May God bless you more!

With 13 years as Ward Choir director behind me, I have spent a lot of time searching for music a limited budget could handle and I have found myself coming back to your site over and over. When my sister called to tell me she was a new choir director and “Help, what do I do?” I sent her first to your site. I also search for something to tempt my children to practice their violin, cello, or flute, and nearly always find just what I need on your site. I LOVE the new format. Thank you so much for sharing your talent.

Thank you very much for your wonderful music. The first song i used from your website (in church service) was “how great is the miracle” one year ago. Since then i performed this song in a gospel concert from epiphanias gospel choir last year in december and one more time in church service. I plan to perform it again on october 31st in church service and also in december in a concert in titus church in hannover/germany.

The next songs i tried (but not performed in public yet) were “an angel to watch over me” and “when hope was born”. Maybe i will perform one of these songs this year in the gospel concert from epiphanias gospel choir.

I really like your music and i want to thank you for this wonderful music and your website.
Thank you and may the lord bless you..

Sister DeFord,
I have been Ward choir director for five years now, so I feel my time in this position must surely be coming to an end; but, before it does, I must let you know how much your music has meant to me, to our choir, and to every member of our ward who has had the privilege of of hearing it performed.
I am so amazed at your generosity! Really, there is no one like you. Sharing the beautiful body of work you have created without financial compensation is…. well, there aren’t really words for what it “is”, are there? I do know that your music and the way you choose to use it, is a true reflection of Christ-like love.
Please know how deeply grateful I am (we all are) to you. You have given all of us, here, some profoundly beautiful musical moments.
Margaret R

I just want to thank you for the beautiful music that you have for us to listen to. It really relaxes me after a long day. I also wanted to see how you get the voices for your song? Do you hold auditions? If so I am interested. Thank you

Our stake choir is singing this weekend while Elder Zwick from the Seventy attends to call a new stake Presidency. We are singing I Stand All Amazed and The Lord is My Shepherd. Sally DeFord music is regular fare in the Nampa Idaho South Stake and in my local ward as well. Thank you, Sister DeFord!

Sister DeFord, Today for choir we sang “If the Savior Stood Beside Me”. It was so beautiful. I unfortunately have a heart-of-stone when it comes to being moved to tears. It just doesn’t happen for me and I’m not sure why. But, today as we sang and I thought of the message we were trying to communicate to the congregation my eyes did actually fill with tears. The song really moved me in ways that I can’t adequately explain. When I sat back down with the Spirit still humming along my senses, I just felt an overwhelming desire to thank you for sharing your gift with the world. We have sung many of your songs in the choir and I have loved them all. You are so talented and your songs are so marvelous. I have tried to dabble around a bit with some songwriting and I am pitifully inadequate at doing it, so to hear and feel what you do is astounding to me. Thank you again. Thank you so very much.

Sister DeFord, what a great blessing your songs have been in my life. I have been looking for a place to send you a note and tell you how much I have loved the CD My All Is Thine. Music has been precious to me and through it I have found solace that has helped me through some very tough challenges. Now as I read your experience with the fires and your thoughts about everyone living through “fires”or “trials” which the prayers of others has sustained and blessed their lives, I can so relate. The statements of other to me “I’m praying for you” are also very precious and gratefully accepted. Some days I have cried through your songs, sometimes I sing along with the songs, and always I feel the great peace that comes from our loving Heavenly Father as He holds us in His arms and whispers in our ears and to our hearts. Thanks for your beautiful and precious talent that you so generously share with us.

Sally, I’m so sorry about the fires you’ve had to deal with. We live in the mountains of northern California and have had some bad ones, but luckily they were not in such populated areas. Our little ward choir has sung your songs for years . . . especially your Christmas numbers, that we sing at the Courthouse Christmas Sing every December. Thanks so much for sharing your talents so generously with us.

Dear Sally, Its a joy to listen to your lovely and heavenly compositions. God has really gifted you in a very special way. His name be glorified and may your work for Him draw many hungry souls to His Grace. Pray foe God’s abundant blessings for you. God bless.

Thanks so much for generously sharing your talent. On you site a few generations ago we could see in the alphabetical listing if a number had a flute or violin obbligato. Is there any way to locate those without simply clicking on each number?

Melissa is my cousin – sounds like you’re all fabulous if you are friends with Melissa ! I am the ward choir director and we just finished singing your arrangement of ‘Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing’. My favorite! Thank you thank you for Sharing your beautiful gift

I am looking for theme songs to do with family. I’d like an arrangement of “Families Can Be Together Forever”, for our choir. Other primary songs in choir arrangements. Any suggestions? “Love is Spoken Here” also. We have sung many of your arrangements over the years. Love them.

Sally,
We are SO blessed by your gifts of music that we share with others in church etc. My FAVORITE songs are your Christmas ones. Have you thought of “re-arranging” additional Christmas songs into solos?
Your “Silent Night” is incredible. I would LOVE other SOLO arrangements of familiar Christmas Songs w/ different accompaniments – of course just do this in your FREE time 🙂
thank you thank you thank you!

Thank you so very much for your generosity with sharing your music with the world. As a private voice teacher and choir director for both stake and ward here in Southern, California, I go to your site first when preparing a special program and number. Again, thank you.

I am a Baptist, but with the beautiful music you write, I don’t think God minds what church I go to. I enjoy singing, and playing your music in my church. My pastor now visits your site, and also uses your music. God has surely blessed you with talent, and I am thankful.
Thank you

I would like to know if you can give me guitar chords for “Guard Him Joseph”. I would like to learn the song and share it but I can’t read music. Can you give me a reply to this in the affirmative? Thank you for the music.

Thank you so very much for all the wonderful music and their very meaningful messages. Thank you more so for freely sharing them too. Not only have you blessed us, but in our singing them in church has blessed many in our church.

As others have said, I too always go to your music first for ideas. I have never been disappointed. I am involved in our Heber/Overgaard Arizona Community Choir and it is so tender and sweet to hear them sing your beautiful music. Of course our ward choir loves singing your musical sermons as well.

Sally,
Thank you so very much for your generosity with sharing your music with the world. As a private voice teacher and choir director for both stake and ward here in Southern, California, I go to your site first when preparing a special program and number. Again, thank you.

I love all of your great work. Thank you so much. I am the choir director in my ward in Sandy, Utah and use your arrangements frequently. Love them. I also sing in a quartet and we have done “A Believers Prayer” with much success and enjoyument. I am hoping that you can provide more TTBB arrangments when you can. We enjoy them very much. thanks for much for all you do.

Thank you for sharing your gift to those of us who sing for HIM in our churches. It is delightful having wonderful, fresh material to add to the worship experiences. As an ex-professional performer, it is nice to have such good tracks to back me up, and I can now stand up, instead of sitting at the ol’ 88’s. John (2nd Baptist, Cumberland MD)

To use the links to the sound on the website, you need flash-support in your webbrowser.Maybe you have to install adobe flashplayer (depending on your browser).

You also need flash-support, if you want to use the link to soundcloud (soundcloud uses also flash to play the music).

I hope this helps to use the soundlinks on the website. Sally was so kind to provide the sound also as downloadable mp3-files. at least these links should be usable (and these links do not require flash).

Just a simple Thank you , for sharing your time and talents with the rest of us. I love your songs and use them alot for the choir. Our ward choir is and has been composed of people who love music and generally are not soloists. Your music makes us feel like we are soloists working together. Thanks again for all you composing.